1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wire holding structure of an electric wire protector, wherein the electric wire is prevented from protruding from a protector body through which the electric wire is put.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 7 shows a conventional electric wire protector in use for protection of a wiring harness.
This electric wire protector 51 consists of a gutter-like protector body 52 of synthetic resin in a crank shape and a cover 53 of synthetic resin to cover a top opening of the protector body 52.
The wires 54 are arranged inside the protector body 52, the cover 53 is engaged with the protector body 52 by a set of engaging means 55,56, and the wire 54 is protected from the outside. This electric wire protector 51 is used for such a place as a portion under a vehicle floor which is likely to receive strong external force.
With respect to the electric wire protector 51, however, the wire 54 is likely to rise or protrude over a sidewall 58 of the protector body 52 at a bent portion (i.e. a cross portion) 57 when tensile force acted on the wire 54, as shown in FIGS. 8A, 8B.
And, this requires. an additional work of putting the wire 54 inside the protector body 52; that is, this requires troublesome work and causes poor workability. And, since the wire 54 would not be settled, length of the wire 54 could not be decided. Further, if the cover 53 (FIG. 7) is put on and tightened, the wire 54 would be damaged.
On the other hand, FIG. 9 shows another prior art electric wire protector, which is used for a battery connection plate for an electric vehicle, disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 11-120986. This electric wire protector 61 is formed by insert-molding a plurality of wires 62 in resin, i.e. a resin body 63.
This electric wire protector 61 consists of a central main portion 64 and a plurality of branch portions 65 on both sides of the main portion 64. The wires (the mains) 62 are gathered and led out from the resin body 65. A terminal 66 is pressure-welded to the end portion of the wire (the branch) 62 at a branch portion 63, and an electrically contacting portion 67, in a generally square plate, of the terminal 66 is exposed to the outside of the resin body 63. A fuse connecting portion of the terminal 66 is exposed inside a frame portion 68 of the resin body 63.
A fuse (not shown) is to be connected to the fuse connecting portion, and therefore the electrically contacting portion 67 is connected to the wire 62 through the fuse. One electrode 70 of a battery 69 (FIG. 11) is inserted into the electrically contacting portion 67, and the wire 62 is connected to a voltage detector (not shown).
FIG. 10 shows a battery connection plate 72 which is formed by insert-molding the electric wire protector 61 (FIG. 9) inside a second resin body 71. The wires (the main portions) 62 are led out from one end of a plate body, i.e. the resin body 71. Before the above insert-molding, a busbar 90 of conductive metal in a rectangular shape is connected to the electrically contacting portion 67 of the voltage-detective terminal 66 (FIG. 9).
Two holes 73 are provided on the busbar 90, and a male-threaded electrode 70 of each battery 69 (FIG. 11) is inserted into each of the holes 73 and screwed with a nut (not shown). By means of the busbar 90, two neighboring batteries 69 are connected in series. The electrically contacting portion 67 of the above terminal 66 (FIG. 9) is connected to one hole 73 of the busbar 90 with the nut. Another busbar 74 having one hole is arranged on an end side of the battery connection plate 72, and an electric wire for power feeding (not shown) is connected to the busbar 74.
Referring to FIG. 11, the above battery connection plate 72 is connected to the electrode 70 of the cylindrical battery 69, and another battery connection plate 75 is connected to the other electrode 76 of the battery 69.
The battery connection plates 72,75 are tightly-connected to the electrodes 70,76 with nuts in a state of the battery 69 being set inside a holder 78 having a plurality of circular holes 77. The holder 78 is fixed to a vehicle body with bracket 79, bolts 80, or the like. The terminals 66 are arranged on the battery connection plate 72, and the wires 62 continuing from the terminals 66 are led out to the outside.
However, with respect to the above conventional electric wire protector 61 (FIG. 9), when the wires 62 are insert-molded inside the resin body 65, positioning work of the wires 62 is troublesome. And, since the wires 62 are immersed in hot resin during the insert-molding, a measure for heat shall be taken on the insulative covers of the wires 62, thereby increasing the cost.
On account of the above, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-123802 discloses an electric wire protector wherein a cover made of synthetic resin is closed to secure the wires (not shown) after the wires have arranged inside the protector body.
With respect to this electric wire protector, however, since the wires 62 are arranged flat in parallel each other similarly to the electric wire protector 61 of FIG. 9, the electric wire protector is relatively flat, and therefore, similarly to the electric wire protector 51 of FIG. 7, the wires are likely to rise at a bent portion (i.e. a cross portion) of the protector body during the arrangement work of thereof, whereby the wires are likely to protrude to the outside over the sidewall of the protector body.
This causes poor workability for wiring. And, if the cover is put on and tightened, the wires would be damaged. Further, when the electric wire protector is covered with a resin material 71 as shown in FIG. 10, the protruded portions of the wires are immersed in a hot condition. Still further, since strong tensile force cannot be given to the wires, the wires could not be arranged in order around the cross portion of the protector body, thereby length of the wires can not be settled.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a wire holding structure of an electric wire protector, wherein protrusion of the wires from the cross portion of the electric wire protector is prevented securely, arrangement workability of the wires is improved, damage of the wires can be prevented, and length of the wires can be pre-settled.
In order to achieve the above object, as a first aspect of the present invention, a wire holding structure of an electric wire protector comprises: a protector body having two or more wire putting-through portions, at least one of the wire putting-through portions crossing the other thereof and forming at least one cross portion; a cover to cover the protector body; and a wire to be arranged inside the protector body, wherein a nail for preventing protrusion of the wire projects inward from the cross portion.
As a second aspect of the present invention, a wire holding structure of an electric wire protector comprises: a protector body having two or more wire putting-through portions, at least one of the wire putting-through portions crossing the other thereof and forming at least one cross portion; a cover to cover the protector body; and a wire to be arranged inside the protector body, wherein a pin for preventing protrusion of the wire projects upward from a top of the cross portion.
As a third aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above first or second aspect, a wire separating rib stands from a bottom wall of each of the wire putting-through portions with a space between an end of the wire separating rib and the cross portion.
As a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with any one of the above aspects, the electric wire protector in a state of accommodating the wire is insert-molded in resin, the electric wire protector being capable of forming a part of a battery connection plate.
According to the above-described structures of the present invention, the following advantages are provided.
(1) Since protrusion of the wire from the cross portion of the protector body is securely prevented by the nail, arrangement workability of the wire is improved and also damage of the wire by the cover can be prevented. And, since the wire can be pulled so that the wire comes into close contact with a wall surface of the cross portion, arranging length of the wire can be pre-settled while preventing the slack of the wire, thereby improving arrangement workability of the wire and also preventing damage of the wire by the cover.
(2) Since the wire is caught on the pin even if the wire rises at the cross portion of the protector body, protrusion of the wire can be prevented, thereby improving arrangement workability of the wire and also preventing damage of the wire by the cover. And, since the wire can be pulled so that the wire comes into close contact with a wall surface of the cross portion, arranging length of the wire can be p-resettled while preventing the slack of the wire. Further, the wire being caught on the pin is pushed by the cover, which improves the workability.
(3) Since the wire is separated one by one by the ribs in the protector body, the wires can be arranged flat in parallel in good order. And, since the end portions of the respective ribs leave respective spaces to respective cross portions, the wire can be pulled so that the wire comes into close contact with a wall surface of the cross portion, arranging length of the wire can be pre-settled while preventing the slack of the wire, thereby preventing damage of the wire by the cover.
(4) Since the electric wire protector is integrally insert-molded in resin, thickness of the battery connection plate can be reduced.
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.